5.18.2008

The membership scheme revealed

"I order the club sandwich all the time and I'm not even a member, man. I don't know how I get away with it." (Mitch Hedberg)

Drew Carey was in town Friday to talk to fans at Kells Irish Pub downtown. He said that the process of the Sounders ownership group coming together to get their place in MLS took "less time than the R. Kelly trial." Aside from being a funnyman, he was there to reveal details about the increasingly famous membership system that he and the Sounders FC are implementing.

The best part is that it's all free to season-ticket holders! Of course, anyone else can pay $125 a year to join. Every 4 years there will be a vote among all members whether or not to keep the current GM. More than 50% of votes are needed to vote the GM out. (The club will still pick the new GM.) Also, members can call a vote in any given year with at least 20% of members signing. And there was mention of a 'membership council.' Any member with 25 others backing him or her gets to be on the council, which meets a couple times a year to hear directly from the suits and give their input.

The team is definitely taking some big steps to involve the fans, as they have so often promised. Drew was very clear in pointing out to the fans in attendance that "it'll be your team, for sure." Words like that from the team's owner are great, but the actual system being implemented and measures being taken to involve the fans are even better.